06 - Paul's First Message -The Itineraries Of Paul
Paul’s First Message We’re in Acts chapter 13, still working Paul’s first itinerary and we left off in verse 7. Acts 13:6-7: And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. They met this false prophet who was a Jew, way up into the religious circles of the time. Like I said before, that’s many times where you find people working for the adversary; in the top fields of religious work and another area is in the political field. This fellow was in both of them. Wherever there’s money, power, recognition, positions of envy and so on, you’ll find people like this sorcerer, Barjesus. Barjesus means “son of Joshua.” This name gave him a real interesting “in.” It made him look real religious. He was with this deputy of the country, the proconsul, who was the head of a senatorial province which was one of the peaceful areas of the Roman Empire and he was a prudent man. He had heard about Paul and Barnabas teaching the Word on the island of Cyprus. I don’t know what went on in his background, in his life, but something must have spurred him in order for him to call for Paul and Barnabas to come to his headquarters to hear the Word. This is the second time you read that great phrase “the Word of God.” Acts 13:8: But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. “Elymas” – means “the knowing one” This deputy had some hunger. He wanted to hear the Word but the opposition, a place you’d least expect it sense-knowledge wise; here he was right in the top circle, top man, working with the deputy, advising him against the Word. How many times has there been someone real close to you who was trying to sway you away from the Word? Perhaps it was someone like this. Perhaps they were jus
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Word. Acts 13:23: Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: “this man's seed” – David’s seed – David was of the seed of Abraham. Abraham all the way through was the promised line. This was to whom the promises were made. Before that, when Adam and Eve fell, God promised to the woman a seed. It was the seed they were waiting for all the way through the Old Testament; the seed of Abraham; the seed of Isaac; the seed of Jacob; the seed of David. It’s not seeds. It’s seed, singular. He’s real sharp on the word. “his promise” – to whom did He make the promise? First to Eve; that she would have seed, then later to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and then David. “a Saviour, Jesus” – that’s what he wanted to talk to them about. See how he built up to that? That’s the way you do it whenever you teach the Word. He built. Now he says, “of this man’s seed, this